2012-2013 Athlete’s of the Week

Our first Athlete of the Week, according to Sunburst Head Football Coach Matt Clark put in a lot of hard work during the off-season and it produced immediate dividends at the start of the season. Ben McAlpine, a Sr. offensive and defensive lineman led the defense in the Refiners opening game win with 11 tackles, 6 sacks and the recovery of a blocked punt. On offense, Coach Clark said “our offensive line dominated Cascade and Ben was a big part of that effort.

Jordan Oraw – Sr. CJI Hawks, Aug. 31st, 2012

A major early season victory for the CJI Hawks football team resulted in a lot of top notch performances from a talented team and a difficult choice for Athlete of the Week. But in the end the nod went to Sr. Jordan Oraw who had 20 tackles against a very good Chinook team. Two of those tackles were for a loss and he had one fumble recovery. That was just the game on defense as Jordan also caught the game winning score on a HB pass from Erik Kelly.

Erik Kelly – Jr. CJI Hawks, Sept. 8th, 2012

Just a week earlier, he was nominated , after throwing the game winning TD on a halfback pass, but the following week the overall game was even more impressive. The Hawks running back carried the ball 33 times for 260-yards, 3 Touchdowns and 2-extra points in a win over Northern Division rival Centerville. Coach Jim Vinson called the Hawks running game critical to the victory over the miners.

Thane McCracken – Jr. Shelby Coyotes, Sept. 14th, 2012

His combination of speed and power has always been impressive and early in the 2012 football season, Thane was getting enough blocks and breaking enough tackles to really make a difference. When he was selected as Athlete of the Week he had rushed for more than 300-yards in the past two games and had six touchdowns in the first three games of the season. One of those Touchdowns was an 85 yard punt return for a Touchdown. Shane was also a leading tackler for the Shelby defense from his Middle linebacking position. He was selected as a 1st Team All-Conference RB at the end of the season.

Paige Mazurkiewicz – Sr. Cut Bank Lady Wolves, Sept. 13-15th, 2012

Paige was an outstanding Basketball and Volleyball player in her career at Cut Bank. She was named Athlete of Week for her play in Volleyball early in the season. Cut Bank Coach Tessa Schultz told us she’s an outside hitter but also plays the back row. She was described as a powerful hitter, hard worker, smart and a team Captain who was outstanding on all area’s of the floor. In the Coaches words, “I’m glad she’s on our team.”

Austin Walker – Sr. Choteau Bulldogs, Sept. 21st, 2012

The Sr. Quarterback for Choteau was selected Athlete of the Week after a huge night in which he completed 15-22 passes for 250-yards and 2 Touchdowns leading his team to a blowout win. He also ran for 65 yards and 1 Touchdown, but even with all that offensive firepower, his biggest play of the night may have been the one-handed grab for an interception in the 4th quarter when the game was still close. Walker was described by Head Coach Robert Mckay as a fine leader and one of the Choteau captains. Austin was also a First Team All-Conference Punter.

Summer Kennerly – Fr. Browning Lady Indians, Sept. 21-22, 2012

Golf doesn’t always get a lot of attention in Browning but Summer Kennerly first caught our attention when she knocked down a hole-in-one at a meet in Polson. She continued to make a name for herself as she went from being Browning’s #4 player to their #2 player. She won the Lady Indians meet at East Glacier and consistently placed in the Top 10 throughout the season. Down the stretch she finished in a tie for 3rd in the Central A Divisional and qualified for the State Tournament.

Melanie Brauchle – So. Shelby Lady Coyotes, Sept. 27th, 2012

As a Sophomore she wasn’t always on the floor or in the starting lineup, but when it came time to serve, Coach Jill Conant made sure that Melanie was in the game. She was definitely among the team’s best and on this night as good as anyone. Shelby as a team had 24 aces in a 3-1 match win over Conrad and Melanie had 8 of those and was 24-26 overall. She also played extremely well in the back row with 15 digs.

Tucker Meyer – Sr. Fairfield Eagles, Sept. 28th, 2012

The best players step up in big games and such was the case for Fairfield QB and team Captain Tucker Meyer in a key conference matchup against Teton County rival Choteau. The Sr. son of Head Coach Les Meyer, ran the show on offense rushing for 139 yards and 2 Touchdowns. In the air he completed passes for 165 yards and on defense kept Choteau from scoring on big plays from the Safety position. Tucker was selected as the 1B District’s 1st Team All-Conference QB.

Jake French – Jr. Choteau Bulldogs, Oct. 5th, 2012

Choteau needed another conference win against Cut Bank in early October and even though they got off to a rocky start, our KSEN Athlete of the Week responded late in the game to get the Bulldogs the victory. From his Safety postion, Jake picked off 2 Cut Bank passes, both of which led to Choteau Touchdowns. Switching from TE to Running back this game, he also rushed for 67 yards and 1Td. Jake played a role in all three 4th Qtr Touchdowns that gave Choteau the win.

Lexie Sullivan – Sr. Choteau Lady Bulldogs, Oct. 6th-17th, 2012

The team was loaded with strong hitters, but Sr. Lexie Sullivan still stood out and in the end it was usually her or Alisha Breen that led the team in kills. During a run in early October, Lexie led the team with 15 kills and 14 in a match with Townsend, one of the strongest teams in the State. She also led the team in a followup match with Havre, including a couple, according to Coach Ann Funk that were real turning points in close games. Lexie was a 1st Team All-Conference, All-State selection from the 1B.

Tyler Ollinger – Sr. Cut Bank Wolves, Oct. 12th, 2013

On the verge of wrapping up a very successful H.S. Football career, Tyler Ollinger had a huge night when he rushed for 318 yards against Conrad. On that specific night he also surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for his career and with two games still to play he had 11 touchdowns for the season. At the end of the year Tyler was chosen as a 1st Team All-Conference, All-State running back and defensive linebacker.

An All-State performance garnered Athlete of the Week honors for Courtney Juneau-Little Dog when she finished 9th in the State A Cross-Country meet out of 123 runners. She improved from her 17th place finish as a sophomore and concluded two straight years of solid running. Courtney had finished 5th in the Central A Divisional and won several meets during the season. She was the best among all runners (female) here in the Golden Triangle.

Luke Henke – Fr. Shelby Coyotes, Oct. 20th, 2012

An eight place State Class B finish was the best among all area boys runners at the 2012 State Cross Country meet. The performance was turned in by Fr. Luke Henke of Shelby. Luke had been mostly the #2 runner for Shelby during the season but Head Coach Debbie Munson said he just put out a little extra at the State Meet. She also noted that he “didn’t really look that tired,” following the 3-mile race.

Clint Christiaens – Sr. Valier Panthers, Oct. 27th, 2012

The Panther’s Sr. QB led his team deeper into the playoffs than they had been in many years. In their 1st round playoff game he threw for over 250-yards and 7 touchdowns. Valier Head Coach Tim Hawke told us that it wasn’t just offense but Clint had some very big plays on defense as well and in fact it was one of those days when “everything was going right.” He was a 2012 Class C Six-man All-State selection at the end of the season.

Sarah Stringfellow – Sr. Choteau Lady Bulldogs, Oct 25th-27th, 2012

When we talk to people about the Choteau Volleyball team, we always hear about the strong hitters, the coach and the tradition, but in the last two years, it seems we always heard about the Bulldogs “Libero.” Sarah has become one of the best at that defensive position and in fact was named an All-State, All-Conference player in 2012. She was the Bulldogs leader in Digs all season long and in all three matches of the 1B District Tournament.

Cody Berg – Sr. Valier Panthers, Nov. 3rd, 2012

Another one of the key players that helped Valier to their most successful seasons in recent years. In their 2nd Round playoff game, Cody scored on two Touchdown runs and returned a kickoff 75 yards for another Touchdown. On defense he tackled a Bridger running back in the end zone for a safety. The Panthers got a huge road victory and advanced to the Semi-final round of the Six-man playoffs.

Alisha is our reigning Athlete of the Year and has completed another stellar season and stellar career. Her 1st Athlete of the Week award came after Choteau won the Divisional Tournament in a grueling 5-game match over Fairfield. It was a great team effort but when all was said and done, Alisha led the team with 27 kills and 4 blocks. She also led the Bulldogs in their Fri. night Semifinal win over Fairfield. At the end of the season she was once again chosen as a 1st Team All-Conference, All-State selection. Alisha was also an All-Conference, All-State selection in Basketball after completing a brilliant four-year career, as a starter. She was named our Athlete of the Week after two big nights of 18 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots against Conrad and then 15 points and 12 rebounds against Cut Bank. And for the second year in a row, Alisha was named to the Great Falls Tribune’s Super-State Girls Basketball Team.

She led the Fairfield Eagles to the State Volleyball Tournament with a continual ability to drive the ball over the net and leave no chance to return it on the other side. At that State Tournament she averaged double figures in kills throughout the Tournament and also added 3 aces in the 1st round win over Thompson Falls. Jill had 10 against eventual State Champion Huntly Project and then 11 kills and 12 blocks against a very talented Townsend team. She was a 1st Team All-Conference selection. Jill won her 2nd Athlete of the Week award in Mid Jan. after leading the Eagles to big conference wins over Choteau and Conrad, combining for 57 points and 26 rebounds in the two games. Her 3rd Athlete of the Week award followed the State B Tournament won by Fairfield as they completed their third straight undefeated season with an amazing 78 game win streak. Jill was the State B Tournament MVP and an All-conference, All-State selection.

Justin Sullivan – Sr. Valier Panthers, Nov. 10th, 2012

Justin knows only one speed and that would be “full-go.” On the football field he never seems to take a play off and he was a big reason that that Panthers advanced further into the playoffs than they had in years. At 190-pounds with great speed in 6-man football he was a threat to go all the way on any play or run it across in short yardage situtations. He was also a solid tackler on defense. In the Panthers semi-final overtime loss to Big Sandy, Justin had a 25-yard Td catch and a 1-yd Td run. He had more than 20 Touchdowns for the season. Justin was a Six man All-State selection in football.

Nick Drishinski – Sr. Fairfield Eagles, Nov. 21st, 2012

Nick was named Athlete of the Week after the State Championship games were played and it was in recognition of a season that saw him lead the Fairfield defense in tackles in every single game. He was also a big contributor on offense where he compiled 673 yards rushing, had 21 receptions for 256 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Nick was a first team All-Conference, All-State selection on both offense and defense.

Taylor Judisch – Sr. Conrad Cowgirls, Nov. 21st, 2012

Taylor was another Athlete who we recognized for her consistent play throughout the season in Volleyball and while the honor came in Volleyball she was also outstanding on the basketball court and helped the Cowgirls to qualify for the State B Tournament. She was the Cowgirls leader in Kills throughout the season and typically led the team in two or more categories. She had an especially big match against Glasgow in the Divisional Tournament with 21 kills and 20 digs. She was named a 1st Team 1B All-Conference player at the end of the season.

Paige Larson, – Jr. Cut Bank Lady Wolves, Dec. 5th, 2012

Talk about getting the brand new Basketball season underway on the right foot. Cut Bank’s

Outstanding jr. Guard-Forward Paige Larson did just that. In the season opener against Harlem she poured in an impressive 27-points, pulled down 9 rebounds and had 7 assists. She also knocked down 11 of 14 shots from the free throw line. Head Coach Brandon Kavanagh told us the Wolves were expecting a lot of big games from Larson this season and she delivered, scoring over 20-points in five games during the season and very consistently in double figures. She was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection in Volleyball and An All-State selection in Basketball.

Lucas Brauchle –Sr. Shelby Coyotes, Dec. 7th-8th, 2012

Early in the season, Lucas had a perfect weekend at the Whitehall Duals, winning 7 of 7 matches and 6 of those coming by pin. He was now 10-1 on the season and ranked in the top 5 in the state among Class B Wrestlers at 171-pounds. Shelby Coach Logan Lybeck told us that Lucas had worked hard for four straight years and this might be the year that all that work pays off. He also noted that he was especially proud of Lucas being an Academic All-State Athlete with a 3.65 GPa.

Celie Salmond – So. Choteau Lady Bulldogs, Dec. 7th-8th, 2012

It surely appears that Celie is going to be among the long line of talented multi-sport athletes from Choteau in recent years. She’s an outstanding starter on the Choteau Volleyball team and worked her way into the starting lineup in Basketball. In the first two games of the year, Celie opened up with 19 points against Manhattan and followed it up with 15 in a two-point win over Deer Lodge. Coach John Shepherd told us she’ll be key to our success all year long.

An All-State year in Football and two major championships in wrestling gave Owen an incredible Sr. year. He became the third of the DeBruycker boys to win the CMR Holiday Invitational in their Sr. year. In doing so, he pinned the #2 ranked wrestler in the State from Class A Havre. The victory by Owen gave Choteau an overall 8th place in the Tournament among the 40 that were entered and it was the second best finish among Class B teams. Owen was also named Athlete of the Week after winning the State Championship at 215-lbs. He won the title match with a pin and ended his Sr. year with a 35-1 record, leading Choteau to a 2nd place Team finish at the State Tournament.

Tiegan Johnson – Sr. Dutton/Brady Diamondbacks, Jan. 2nd, 2013

Tiegan was in the final year of a brilliant career at Dutton/Brady and his numbers proved it. In mid-December he went over 1,000 points in his career. In the two games in which he surpassed the mark he scored 57 points, had 13 rebounds, 7 steals and 8 assists and shot 20-23 from the free throw line. In his next two games he poured in 21 against CJI and 19 against Sunburst. He is a three time, All-Conference, All-State selection from the Northern C Division.

Kayla Leary – Jr. Shelby Lady Coyotes, Jan. 2nd, 2013

Kayla is a talented athlete in multiple sports including Volleyball, Basketball and Softball. As Shelby was looking to improve with a young team, Kayla was improving as well and stepped up in two games prior to the Christmas break and led the Coyotes to their first victory with 18 points, following an 11-point performance. In both of those games she had 10 and 14 rebounds respectively for back to back double-doubles. In Volleyball, Kayla was a 1st Team 1B All-Conference selection.

Morgan Van Dyke – Jr. Conrad Cowgirls, Jan. 4th-5th & Feb. 15th, 2013

Morgan got a lot of playing time as a Sophomore but by her Jr. year she was a full time starter and began making a bigger impact for her team week by week. She was first selected Athlete of the Week on the first weekend of the new year after scoring 17 against Choteau and 23, including 7-11 from the free throw line, in a win against Browning. Morgan was selected a second time when she turned in a tremendous performance in the District Tournament. She scored a career high 28 points in the semifinal game Friday night, ensuring Conrad a trip to Divisionals. She also led Conrad with 15 points in the Championship game and at the end of the season was named a 2nd Team All-Conference selection.

Kyle was a three time winner of the Athlete of the Week Award this season. He was a 1st Team All-Conference wide receiver in Football but the first two awards were both for Basketball. The first in early Jan. after he exploded for 31 points and seven 3-point shots, on the same night his teammate Wyatt Pannabecker also hit for 31. Kyle got the nod since he led Choteau with 16 in a win over Conrad that same week. He was next selected when he scored a career high 32 points against Malta in the Divisional Semifinal. That performance vaulted Choteau into their first State Tournament since 1977. He hit 7-8 shots from 3-point range and 7-9 overall and was also 11-14 from the free throw line. Kyle was again selected for his performance in track when he won 3 events…the pole vault, the triple jump and the long jump at the Fairfield Invitational.

Cole Werdal – Sr. Choteau Bulldogs, Jan. 11th-12th, 2013

Cole was among the team of Choteau wrestlers who was at or near the top of their individual weight class at tournament after tournament. He was named Athlete of the Week after winning the Championship of his hometown “Choteau Classic,” in which the Choteau team also won the Championship. He had 4 straight pins in the Tournament and upped his season record to 27-2. Cole had previously won the Cut Bank and Cascade Invitationals and finished 3rd at the CMR Holiday Invitational. He went on in February and won the State B/C Championship at 160-lbs.

Hollee Meek – So. Simms Lady Tigers, Jan. 11th-12th, 2013

Hollee is an outstanding 3-sport Athlete in Volleyball, Basketball, and Track. In mid-January she was averaging 18-points a game and scored 26 in a Simms win over Valier. She also 11 rebounds against the Panthers and then turned around and scored 25 against Cascade with 16 rebounds. Hollee earned 1st Team All-Conference, All-State Honors in both Basketball and Volleyball. She is now in the process of consistently winning several events in Track and Field.

Kylan Berkram – Sr. Cut Bank Wolves, Jan. 18th-19th, 2013

Kylan has been an outstanding wrestler throughout his career in Cut Bank and especially in the past two seasons. By mid-January he had improved his season record to 28-4 and was nearing 100 victories in his career. He was a 3-time State placer and had won the last three Tournaments that he participated in….The Harlem Invitational, The Cut Bank Booster Club Invitational and The Choteau Classic. He was also voted Outstanding Wrestler by the Coaches at the Harlem and Cut Bank Tournaments. In February he won the 112-lb. State Championship.

Wyatt was one of the main cogs on a Choteau Basketball Team that qualified for the State Tournament for the first time since 1977. In late Jan. he was bringing his “A” game every night with a great ability to create shots around the key. He had a 31 point game against Cut Bank, 30 against Rocky Boy and 16 in a huge Choteau win over Fairfield. Coach Larry Lucero called him a “fierce competitor, an excellent student and maybe the most physical kid on the team.” Wyatt was also named Athlete of the Week after scoring 51 points in the Bulldogs two games of the 1B District Tournament.

JJ Werdal – So. Choteau Bulldogs, Feb. 2nd, 2013

He had been nominated several times for the Athlete of the Week award finally winning in early February after winning the Northern B Divisional Championship at 130-lbs. JJ was currently ranked third in the State and had run his season record to 34-8. He also won Championships at the Cascade Invitational, the Cut Bank Invitational and Malta and was a top five finisher at the CMR Holiday Invitational and The Choteau Classic. JJ went on the next week to win the State B/C Championship at 130-lbs.

Jordyn Johnson – Sr. Fairfield Lady Eagles, Feb. 9th, 2013

Another strong part of the dominant Fairfield Lady Eagles Basketball team that won their third straight State B Championship. The Sr. forward and leading 3-point shooter for the Eagles, Jordyn is an intense and tough player who was not only a great shooter but a great defender and rebounder with an average of around 8 rebounds per game. When she received the Athlete of the Week award she was the third leading scorer in the 1B District averaging more than 13 points a game. Jordyn received 1st Team All-Conference, All-State honors in basketball and was a 1st Team All-Conference pick in Volleyball.

DeeJay Lazy Boy – Sr. Browning Indians, Feb. 22nd-23rd, 2013

DeeJay has played a key role in Browning’s Tournament runs the past two years. He has proved time after time that he is a “go to” player when the pressure is on. He won our Athlete of the Week award after leading Browning to a semifinal win over Livingston in the Central A Divisional with 33 points including 6-three-point shots. Post season honors for DeeJay included a spot on the Class A All-state team and a spot on the Great Falls Tribune Super State Team.

Katelyn Graff – Sr. CJI Lady Hawks, Feb. 20-23rd, 2013

The Lady Hawks strong forward and best shooter really stepped it up in the Northern C Divisional Tournament where the team played a 5-game Marathon that included three overtime games. Katelyn scored Double-Doubles with points and rebounds in every game. Of course that may not have been a surprise to CJI fans since she maintained a Double-Double average throughout the season. She earned 1st Team All-Conference honors in Volleyball and All-State honors in Basketball.

Marti Eaglefeathers – Sr. Browning Lady Indians, March 1-2nd, 2013

Marti has been a consistently good player for the Lady Indians who will be missed when she graduates. The Lady Indians surprised a lot of people when they made a great run in the Central A Divisionals and the battled to a 3rd place finish at the State A Tournament. She led the team in scoring in 3 of the 4 games at the State Tournament including 22 in the 1st round win over Butte Central. Marti was also the team leader in steals and assists. She earned All-Conference, All-State Honors at the end of the season.

Emmette Dustybull – So. Browning Indians, April 6th, 2013

Emmette is a 3-sport Athlete in Browning participating in X-country, Basketball and Track. He got the season off to a great start by winning three events in a single meet and these were not easy races. He captured victories in the 800, 1600 & 3200. Browning Coach Ray Augare admitted that it is extremely difficult to run in all three races in one day, let alone win them but the goal is to qualify for all three at State where they wouldn’t have to be run on the same day. Coach Croff also told us that Emmette “leaves it all on the track in every race and that makes him exciting to watch and gives him a bright future.”

Kim Parsell – Fr. Shelby Lady Coyotes, April 13th, 2013

Kim just barely missed being an Athlete of the Week in the fall when she finished in 10th place at the State X-country meet. There was only one other area runner that was better than that. This spring she has consistently won or finished in the top 6 in the 800, 1600 and 3200. At the Havre Invitational she won both the 1600 and 3200 and added a 5th place in the 300 Hurdles and a 6th in the High Jump. She has continually improved her times since that meet and as a Freshman is giving Shelby a bright future in Track and X-Country.

Brittnee Theel – Sr. CJI Lady Hawks, April 20th, 2013

Brittnee played a big role in CJI sports in her Sr. season in Volleyball and Basketball where she was a 1st Team All-Conference selection and then in Track. She had already had quite a bit of success as a Jr. She is the defending 10C District Champion 100 & 300 Hurdles her best events. She also had Top 3 places in both events at the Divisional. Brittnee was named our Athlete of the Week after winning both hurdle events at the Cut Bank Invitational. She had also won the 300 the week before at the Fairfield Invitational.

Sydne Steinbach – Sr. Fairfield Lady Eagles, April 27th, 2013

Most recently Sydne took 1st place in the 100m hurdles at the Cascade Top 8 meet in Great Falls cementing her position as one of the best track athletes in Northcentral Montana. She has consistently won that event at numerous meets this season and was also among the top 15 in the State in the Triple Jump after going more than 34-feet at the Fairfield –Belt Invitational. Sydne was also another of the starting five on the State B Champion Fairfield Eagles Basketball team and was a 1st Team All-Conference pick from the 1B District.

Tay Hall – Jr. Choteau Bulldogs, April 27th, 2013

Tay has had his name at the top of the list for Javelin throwers all season long. He was named our Athlete of the Week just last week after winning the event at the Fairfield-Belt Invitational with a throw of over 179-feet. His throws have continually improved as the season goes along and he currently has the 7th best throw in the State among javelin throwers in all classifications. He also won the event again at the Cascade Lions Top 8 meet in Great Falls.

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